emergency shelters ‘at full capacity’ are turning away women fleeing violence

the lack of space within the shelter network for women who need its protection is “glaring,” said mélanie shaw, director of programs and social services and interim executive director at auberge transition."we are at full capacity every day.”nearly 20,000 of the 60,000 calls to sos violence conjugale between april 1, 2024 and march 31, 2025 were to request a place in an emergency shelter — and more than half of those 20,000 callers to the support line were turned away because there was no room.

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based on data from a statistics canada survey on the “snapshot date” of april 13, 2023, 82 per cent of women admitted to emergency shelters said they were fleeing psychological abuse by their partners; 71 per cent said they were fleeing physical violence.the toll of intimate partner violence on women has been grim of late: 10 suspected femicides in quebec since the start of the year — five of them in january alone.“beyond femicide, there are thousands of women and children for whom violence affects their physical and mental health,” said nathalie villeneuve, co-ordinator of maison hina, a shelter in the montérégie region and a member of the regroupement des maisons pour femmes victimes de violence conjugale, a coalition of 47 shelters across quebec.“these consequences are sometimes invisible, but grow over the years. in making investments against intimate partner violence, the government can not only save lives but also social costs and enormous health costs.”the sûreté du québec reported that the number of criminal cases opened for intimate partner violence tripled from about 4,200 in 2015 to 12,800 in 2024 — a sign that this form of violence is being reported more frequently. the shelter community deplores the fact that funding for emergency shelters and second-stage transitional housing has not kept pace.the regroupement des maisons pour femmes victimes de violence conjugale welcomed a $9-million increase in funding for emergency shelters announced in quebec’s 2026-27 budget and projected annual increases for a total hike of $21 million in 2030-31 over the current envelope, but it had asked for an increase of $50 million over five years. that amount, said Élise brien, co-lead of policy files with the coalition, would have meant each shelter could add one position to its team every year. it would also have made it easier to retain experienced workers.as well, brien lamented the fact the march budget did not provide for new shelters. women will still have to wait several weeks before being able to consult with a shelter worker or receive assistance, she said.quebec earmarked nearly $90 million over five years for homelessness initiatives in its 2026-27 budget. “homelessness is visible. it is on our streets and in our parks,” said shaw of auberge transition.“but intimate partner violence is behind closed doors. it is not seen — and so there is a lack of a sense of urgency to act.”

auberge transition’s 2024-25 annual report stated that the average stay at its shelter was 83 days; 35.6 per cent of the 47 women were age 18 to 29 and 31 per cent were 30 to 39; most of the 30 children were younger than 12.  immigrants made up about half the shelter population.following the maximum 90-day stay at an emergency shelter, the only available options are rental housing or second-stage transitional housing — secure, affordable housing for women and children who have left shelters but need more time to become independent.“and second-stage spaces are full, with a waiting list,” shaw said. many clients have only welfare income “and you can’t rent a place for $700.”

like auberge transition, auberge shalom pour femmes is full — and most residents are from outside canada. “many are immigrants and refugees, which is why the cases are more and more complex,” said auberge shalom executive director myriam ariey-jouglard.sometimes there are immigration issues: a client might have her required papers, for instance, but her abuser is withholding her passport.“it takes a lot of support on the part of staff to deal with these cases,” ariey-jouglard said. “sometimes there is so much paperwork because monsieur wants to go to court to have custody of the children. it really is a crisis moment. there can be a lot of court dates for different things. at the same time, we must support the women and find schools for the children.“they are in a vulnerable situation; often they are not employed,” she said. “there are many more barriers in finding a place to live: it is hard for them to find a place because of the shortage of affordable housing in montreal.”only after they are in the shelter, once they feel safe and supported, “do they start to realize what they went through,” ariey-jouglard said.

one woman whose story is recounted in the auberge transition annual report described how, after arriving in canada as a visitor, she began to experience abuse by her husband: psychological, verbal, sexual and physical violence. “because of my precarious status, i was afraid to speak up to ask for help,” she said. she felt powerless and in constant fear for herself and her son. “i lost all self-esteem and life seemed meaningless.”then she found auberge transition. the team supported her in her legal steps and she learned that, despite her status, she had rights. she was also offered psychosocial support and was able to regain her self-confidence and begin rebuilding her life.“i want to tell all women in similar situations that they are not alone. asking for help is not a sign of weakness,” she said. “it’s a sign of courage.”a woman might leave an abusive partner more than once before leaving for good, said ariey-jouglard of auberge shalom. between 100 and 130 women are seen every year through the organization’s external office, which provides services including counselling and support groups. funding for the external office comes mainly from the auberge shalom foundation and individual donors.“shelter is so important for the safety of women, but the external services are also crucial for women who don’t need to leave right away but who need help,” she said. “they need counselling and a safety plan.”other women might use the external service only after leaving an abusive partner — “after the crisis and once she has been able to move out of shelter and settle in an apartment.”“funding needs to go beyond the emergency shelter,” said ariey-jouglard. “what women need is much more than a bed. we need more investment in counselling, prevention, legal support and long-term recovery.”too much of the funding is project-based, she said. “we are underfunded and have to be looking for funding all the time. it is urgent to have more investment to support these women.“when a woman comes to us, i hope it is a light at the end of the tunnel.”people facing intimate partner violence can contact sos violence conjugale 24 hours a day at 1-800-363-9010.